Palace Heiligenberg

History

The Counts of Fürstenberg erected Heiligenberg Castle 1538 and 1584 on the site of a medieval fortress.
It is nothing short of a miracle that this outstanding monument of the German Renaissance has been preserved nearly unaltered.
Retreating bands of mercenaries in the Thirty Years Was had already ignited the fuses to blow up the entire complex. And Heiligenberg Castle also remained largely spared of the continuous alterations undertaken to conform to ever-changing living and representational need as the castle lords mostly held high imperial offices at Vienna or the court of Augustus II the Strong at Dresden.

They therefore only resided for brief periods of time in Heiligenberg. The autonomous Heiligenberg line of the House of Fürstenberg became extinguished in 1716. The castle went largely unnoticed for many decades, and for this reason a German Renaissance treasure has been preserved here nearly unchanged in a wonderful setting overlooking Lake Constance. The splendid Grand Hall takes up two stories of the south wing.

With its elaborately carved wooden ceiling, the corresponding parquet flooring, the numerous ancestral portraits, domestic windows and coats-of-arms, its beauty is unrivalled anywhere in the Renaissance architecture of Northern Europe. One can enjoy an impressive unsurpassed view; on a clear day one can see the fertile landscape at the foot of the castle, the whole of Lake Constance and the majestic Swiss Alpine mountain range. The Castle Chapel is hardly less impressive than the Grand Hall and is also an important monument of the Fürstenberg family history.

The family burial place has been located in the underlying crypt since 1586. Among those resting here is Prince Max Egon II (1863–1941), one of the closest friends of the Wilhelm II, the last German emperor. The sculptor Hans Wimmer created an outwardly archaic crucifix for his tomb that is one of the particularly precious items in the already profusely decorated Renaissance castle at Heiligenberg.

Events

For a limited time every year, the princely family provides the Palace Donaueschingen for external events. Enjoy your event in our palace, exclusively reserved for you.

Whether a party or a discreet business meeting, our rooms turn every event into that certain something. Experience the “Life in the Palace”: all rooms were kept in their original conditions and furnished with historical furniture, works of art and literature, collected by the princely family for centuries. The Fuerstenberg residences are an excellent choice for your event.

Guided Tours

The art historical guided tours lasting approximately 75 minutes encompasses the magnificent Grand Hall and the other extraordinary castle rooms, the Court Chapel with its richly decorated wood vaulting, the crypt in which the burial place of the Fürstenberg family has been located since 1586, the “Blue Corridor” with its unique collection of vedute painted by Martin Menrad (circa 1680) showing Fürstenberg castles and residences as well as the castle kitchen and the entrance hall.